


Determination.

by Anonymous



Series: Underswapped! [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Heavy Angst, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, No Mercy Route, Non-Binary Chara, Non-Binary Frisk, Nonbinary Napstablook, Other, POV Second Person, POV Third Person, Sequel, Unfinished/Abandoned Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-01
Updated: 2015-12-01
Packaged: 2018-08-07 13:41:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7716889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>* 1 left.</em>
</p><p>Some people just don’t deserve to be saved, and those who do don’t always get their happy ending.</p><p>Chara knew that, but they thought that it wasn’t fair. Why should their friend suffer while everyone else gets their own happy ending?</p><p>They knew that what they were about to do was wrong. They knew that it went against what they stood for, but they didn’t care. They were going to help their friend, despite it all—even if it meant that they had to get some dust on their hands, then so be it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Back At The Beginning

_“don’t do it, kid. i’m begging you…please, don’t do this.”_

_“I have to, Papyrus. I have to do it for Frisk’s sake. They deserve a second chance.”_

_“but you can’t go around killin’ everybody! what would Asgore think—”_

_“He won’t even remember me, and neither will you.”_

_“…kid, someone like you is hard to forget. I can never forget the way you ran away from fights with a smile on your face. I can never forget a kindhearted soul like you. please, don’t reset. everyone’s so happy—it wouldn’t be fair to take away everyone’s happiness just like that. not when we’ve all come so far.”_

_“I know that what I’m doing isn’t right, but…it isn’t right to just leave_ them _behind either…I have to reset, Papyrus. I have to do this for them—for Frisk.”_

_“…alright, but don’t expect to get so lucky in battle.”_

_“I’ll distance myself from everyone. That’ll make everything easier. Besides, in a few minutes, you won’t even remember me.”_

_“i wouldn’t be too sure about that.”_

* * *

            “Well, it’s good to be back, even if it is for a short time,” Chara said as they got up. They looked down, smiling sadly as they saw the same flowers that they had landed on when they had fallen down the first time.

            When they went into the next room, they were greeted by a familiar face.

            “HOI!!! I’m TEM. TEM da TEMMIE!!!” the dog introduced himself. “U is cUTe hOOMan? Boy, you must be so confused!”

            Chara had known all too well where this was going. They already noticed how his ‘cute’ façade seemed to be fading away.

            “Tem will teach you the meaning of life!” The dog then summoned the human’s soul. “You see that heart? That is your SOUL! The very culmination of your being! It starts off weak, but can get stronger as you gain more LV. What is LV, you may ask? Why, it stands for love, of course! You want some love, don’t you? Well, don’t worry, I’ll share some with you through these little, white ‘temmie flakes’!”

            Chara moved to the side as they were about to get hit by the tiny bullets.

            Tem smirked as he said, “Hey, human, you missed some flakes…let’s try again, okay?”

 **Not again,** Chara thought as they dodged the bullets again.  **I will not be fooled again.**

            “ _IS THIS A JOKE? ARE YOU BRAINDEAD!?_ RUN. INTO. THE. _BULLETS_ —I mean, temmie flakes!” Tem quickly added before throwing the bullets at Chara once more.

            They dodged the bullets once more.

            “You know what’s going on here, don’t you?” Tem demanded as a ring of bullets suddenly surrounded Chara’s soul. “You just wanted to see me suffer… _DIE_!”

            As the bullets got closer and closer, a bright ball of energy knocked Tem over.

            “What an odd creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth,” Asgore remarked as he approached Chara, helping them get up. “Ah, do not worry, young one. I am Asgore, caretaker of the ruins. I pass by every day to see if a human has fallen down—and golly, has it been a long time! Come, follow me. I shall guide you through the catacombs.”

            As soon as Asgore left, Chara let out a sigh.

 **I’m sorry, Dad,** they thought as tears trickled down their cheeks. **I’m sorry, everyone…but I have to do this if I want to save _them_ …**


	2. But Nobody Came.

            “As a human living in the Underground, monsters may attack you,” Asgore warned Chara as he led them to a dummy. “You will need to be prepared for this situation. However, worry not! The process is simple. When you encounter a monster, you will enter a fight. While you are in a fight, strike up a friendly conversation. Stall for time, I shall come to resolve the conflict. Practice talking to the dummy.”

            Chara took a deep breath before approaching the dummy. They gripped the weapon in their hand tightly as they hit the dummy.

            The dummy faded away into dust, leaving nothing but a button behind.

            “Ah, the dummies are not for fighting! They are for talking!” Asgore said as he placed a hand on Chara’s shoulder. He had a worried look on his face. “We do not want to hurt anybody now, do we…? Come now.”

            Chara felt a little guilty as they followed Asgore into the next room. They knew that Happstablook had possessed the dummy before finally deciding to leave the dummy’s body behind.

            “There is another puzzle in this room…I wonder if you can solve it?” As Asgore was leading them to the bridge, Chara encountered a Froggit.

            Chara hit the Froggit as hard as they could, and they watched as it turned to dust. Their LOVE increased and they earned 10 EXP and 20 gold. They turned back to Asgore, who was staring at them with a concerned look on his face.

            When Chara had caught up with Asgore, he turned to them and said, “This is the puzzle, but…here, take my hand for a moment.” He grabbed their hand and led them across the bridge, making sure that they did not step on the spikes.

            Chara remembered when they had first walked across the bridge. They remembered how soft Asgore’s hand was, and how welcoming his voice was. They recognized how he had treated them as if they were his own child. They remembered how painful it was to leave him in the ruins while they continued their journey. They remembered how he had saved them back in the throne room, and how they had chosen to stay with him on the surface.

            They knew that their decision would be a painful one.

            “Puzzles seem a little too dangerous for now,” Asgore said before leaving the room.

            Chara followed Asgore into the next room and listened as he told them to forgive him before leaving.

            As they made it to the end of the room, Asgore appeared from behind a pillar. “I’m sorry for leaving you, but you see, this was to test your independence. I must go do something, and you must stay here for a while. Please do not leave the room while I’m gone.”

            Once he left the room, Chara moved forward.

            They saw a small star above a pile of leaves and pressed it, saving their progress.

            As they walked around the room, they encountered a Whimsun. They wanted to console the Whimsun and tell it that everything would be alright, but they knew that they couldn’t spare a single monster this time.

            They struck the Whimsun with their stick and watched as its dust scattered across the ground.

            Chara noticed a door to the north. They went inside and saw a bowl of candy. They took most of the candy before the bowl fell over, spilling the rest of the candy onto the ground.

            Then, Chara went back and walked throughout the ruins, making sure to leave nothing behind.

* * *

            After walking around, Chara thought that they were about to encounter another monster once they saw that their soul was summoned.

            But instead, they only saw a couple of words.

**_ * But nobody came. _ **

            Chara knew what this meant. This meant that the only one left in the ruins was Asgore. And in order to move on, they’d have to fight Asgore. But this time, they wouldn’t be able to show him mercy.

            Letting out a heavy sigh, Chara continued down the path in front of them.


	3. The Loss Of A Father

            As Chara was about to head up to Asgore’s house, they noticed a path leading to the room on the right. When Chara went into the room, they saw a small toy knife on the ground. They threw away the stick and picked up the knife, shoving it into their pocket.

            They then went up ahead. They stiffened as soon as Asgore walked over to them.

            “How did you get here, my child? Are you hurt?” Asgore carefully examined them. There were no bruises, no scratches—nothing indicating that any harm had been done. “Not a scratch…interesting. But still…I should not have left you alone for so long. It was irresponsible to try to surprise you like this. Err, well…would you like to come with me?” he asked.

            Chara nodded and followed him into his home.

            “This is it,” Asgore said as he grabbed Chara’s hand and led them to a small door, “A room of your own. I hope you like it!” He ruffled their hair. Then, he smelled something. “Is something burning…? Um, make yourself at home!” He then went to the kitchen.

            Chara knew that they didn’t have any time to take a nap. They knew what they had to do.

            They went into the living room and saw Asgore sitting in his chair, reading a book.

            Asgore noticed Chara walk over to him. He put down his book and said, “Howdy! The pie hasn’t cooled down yet. Perhaps you should take a nap.”

            “No,” Chara said as they shook their head. “I’m not tired.”

            “You’d rather stay up and chat with me, then?” Asgore smiled a little. “Well…I want you to know that I am so happy to have someone living here. There are so many things that I want to teach you, such as gardening and farming snails…I’ve even thought of becoming a teacher! …well, perhaps that’s not really much news to you, is it?” Asgore then squinted. “Still…it’s nice to have someone here.” He noticed the look on Chara’s face and then asked, “Oh, did you want to ask me something?”

            Chara was hesitant to ask him at first, but soon they blurted it out, “When can I leave the ruins? Is there an exit of some sort?”

            “…excuse me. I have to go do something right now.” Asgore quickly got up and went downstairs.

            Chara trailed behind him as he made his way to the exit of the ruins.

            “You want to go home, do you not?” the goat asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “You want to leave, just like the six children before you?”

            “…” Chara was silent. They remembered how he had mentioned that there were humans who had fallen down before them, but they didn’t know that those humans were children.

            “Hmph.” Asgore scowled. As he reached the door, he turned back to Chara and said, “You are no different than the others. There is only one way to end this. Prove yourself…prove to me that you are strong enough to survive!”

            As soon as their soul was summoned, Chara swung at Asgore with the toy knife. Their eyes widened as there was a gash on his side, and his cheek was covered in blood.

            Asgore gasped and pressed a paw to his side. When he pulled his paw away, his eyes widened as he saw blood drip from it. He looked back at Chara. “Y…you…loathe me so much as to…?” He couldn’t believe it. How could someone as young as them be capable of such a crime? “Now I see who I was really protecting by keeping you here. Not you…but them!” He fell to his knees and chuckled to himself. “Aha…ha…ha…”

            He faded away into dust, and the only thing that was left was his soul. His soul twitched violently before finally breaking apart.

            “Dad…” Chara fell to their knees and scooped up his dust in their hands. They wiped away a tear from their eye as they went back upstairs and into the garden, where they sprinkled his dust on top of the flowers.

            They went back downstairs and went through the door before finally reaching the exit.

            “Hahaha,” Tem chuckled. “You’re not really human, are you? No, no—you must be empty inside if you were willing to do something like that without even hesitating. In fact…you’re Frisk, right? Nothing can break our bond, even after all these years…listen, I have a plan to become all powerful—even more powerful than you and your stolen soul.” The dog smirked as he continued, “Let’s destroy everything in this _wretched world._ Everyone, everything in these _worthless memories_ …let’s turn ‘em all into dust!” The dog cackled. “ _That’s a wonderful idea_!” He then ran away.

            Chara felt their heart sink as those words echoed through their mind.

            They moved forward, feeling a heavy weight being placed upon their shoulders.


	4. Snowdin

            Chara trudged through the snow. They knew their way around Snowdin, and they knew what to expect from the residents who were living there. They knew that a certain pair of skeletons would be there, waiting for their arrival.

            As they reached the bridge, they could hear a voice from behind them say, “Human, don’t you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand.”

            Chara did as they were told. However, this time, they didn’t laugh at the skeleton’s trick. They just stared at him blankly as he pulled his hand away.

            “nyeh heh heh,” Papyrus chuckled. “the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it’s ALWAYS funny.” He noticed the blank expression on the human’s face. “…that’s, uh, your cue to laugh,” he told them. “or, uh, to emote at all…?” After receiving no response, Papyrus thought to himself, _gee, the guy really knows how to pick ‘em, huh…?_ “okay, that’s fine. everyone has their own tastes in humor and jokes.” Papyrus winked. “i’m Papyrus. Papyrus the skeleton. i’m actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now. but, y’know…i don’t really care about capturing anybody. now my brother, Sans…he’s a human-hunting FANATIC. hey, actually, i think that’s him over there. i have an idea, go through this gate thingy. my brother made the bars too wide to stop anyone.”

            As the two crossed the bridge, Papyrus pointed at a conveniently-shaped plant and said, “quick, behind that plant.” But Chara didn’t move an inch, which confused the skeleton. “uh, ok, i guess you don’t have to.”

            Sans then made his way over to the two. “PAPYRUS, HAVE YOU FOUND A HUMAN YET?”

            “yeah,” Papyrus answered.

            “WOW. THEN I GUESS THAT’S SETTLED!” Sans then left.

            “that worked out, huh?” Papyrus asked, turning to the human.

            As Chara was about to leave, Papyrus stopped them.

            “well, i’m gonna be straight-forward with ya, kid. my brother would really like to see a human…so, it’d really help me out if you kept pretending to be one,” Papyrus explained.

 **What? He…he doesn’t recognize me as a human anymore?** Chara thought. But they then realized that since they had murdered the monsters in the ruins, they would no longer be seen as a human, but as a monster.

            They watched as Papyrus went in the opposite direction, before finally going in the right direction.

* * *

            When Chara reached their save point, they were shocked to see two words: **_* 16 left._**

            “So now there’s a kill counter? Gee, that’s just swell,” Chara muttered sarcastically. They saved and then saw a box. They opened the box and found a pair of boxing gloves and a bandana. They wrapped the bandana around their neck and put on the gloves.

 **A perfect fit,** they thought before deciding to walk around to see if they could encounter any of the monsters that currently resided in Snowdin.

            After walking around for a few minutes, they encountered Snowdrake.

            While they never fought anyone on their previous run, they did have some knowledge on hitting things, thanks to their birth father (who had taught them how to fight back and defend themselves). So, they closed their eyes and hit as hard as they could.

            Snowdrake let out a roar of pain, before trying to laugh it off. “My favorite ice cereal’s: ‘frosted’.”

            Chara stifled back a laugh as they hit the monster again. They watched as he faded away into dust.

* * *

            “Hey, who goes there?” Toby, who was also known as Doggo’s right hand dog (who had helped him with his seeing issues along with dragging him away from the skeletons whenever he’d try to bite them), asked as he peeked out of his station. “I know that there’s someone out there, but who is it?” Then, he began to shiver. “Wh-why am I shivering? What’s going on?”

            Chara quickly pressed the FIGHT button and hit the dog, lowering his HP.

            “Don’t move an inch!” the dog barked as he threw blue attacks at them, to which they stood still.

            Chara hit the dog again, causing him to turn into dust.

            “Only a few more to go,” they muttered.

* * *

            “What’s that smell?”

            “(Where’s that smell?)”

            “If you’re a smell…”

            “(…identify yoursmellf!)”

            Both Dogamy and Dogaressa sniffed around to see where the smell was coming from, before finally stopping. The Dogi then took a step closer next to Chara.

            “Hmm…here’s that weird smell,” Dogamy said. “It makes me want to eliminate.”

            “(…eliminate YOU!)” Dogaressa yelled.

            The dogs said sickly sweet things to each other before throwing blue and white hearts at Chara.

            Chara hit Dogamy first, before quickly moving away from him and Dogaressa’s axes.

            When Chara hit Dogamy again, he turned into dust, leaving Dogaressa behind.

            “(Misery awaits you,)” Dogaressa growled.

**_* The Dogaressa is on the warpath._ **

            Chara dodged the axes once more before pressing the FIGHT button once again.

            “(Kneel and suffer!)”

            Chara hissed as their arm was hit by the dog’s weapon. But they wouldn’t stop fighting. They attacked again, and this time, Dogaressa turned into dust.

            “At least the Dogi are reunited,” Chara murmured, before pulling out a piece of food from their pockets and eating it.

* * *

            The Greater Dog was an easy challenge, while some monsters would take a while to defeat, but Chara managed to strike down every single monster that stood in their way.

            Chara had finally reached Snowdin, only to find out that everyone else had evacuated. Muffet’s bar was empty, as was the library. Even the Ice Wolf had decided to leave their work behind, seeing as how their life was much more important than gathering ice.

            The only one who had stayed behind was Asriel. When Chara approached him, he said, “The adults are being ridiculous. Doesn’t everyone know that we’ve got Alphys to protect us!?”

            Chara wished that the goat was right.

            When Chara made it to the end of town, there was someone standing in their way.

            “I…I’M NOT AN EXPERT WHEN IT COMES TO THESE SORT OF THINGS,” Sans started, “BUT I KNOW THAT FROM THE DUST ON YOUR HAND, YOU SEEM TO BE GOING DOWN A VERY DARK PATH…LOOK, I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES, PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES. IT’S A PART OF LIFE, AND IT’S PERFECTLY FINE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT’S NOT OKAY? KILLING PEOPLE. HURTING OTHERS IS NEVER OKAY, ESPECIALLY IF THEY’VE NEVER WRONGED YOU.” Sans sighed. “I ADMIT, I HAD BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO CAPTURING YOU AT FIRST SO THAT I COULD GET A SPOT IN THE ROYAL GUARD, BUT NOW THAT I LOOK BACK AT IT…I’M NOT SURE IF I’VE DONE THE RIGHT THING BY KEEPING YOU HERE. BUT, THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT YOU…SOMETHING SO FAMILIAR—IT’S AS IF I’M TALKING TO AN OLD FRIEND OF MINE.” Sans paused for a moment. “…MAYBE, IF YOU TRIED A LITTLE HARDER, YOU COULD DO SOME GOOD FOR ONCE. ME AND MY BROTHER WOULD BE HAPPY TO HELP YOU.” The skeleton raised both of his arms, as if he were expecting to receive a hug. “SO, HOW ABOUT IT?”

 **It’s for the best,** Chara thought as they took another step. **After this, I’ll move onto Waterfall, then Hotland, and then the castle. Then, after I save Frisk, I can reset, and then everything will go back to normal.**

            “OH, ARE YOU ACCEPTING MY OFFER?” Sans asked as the kid got closer.

 **I’m sorry,** Chara thought as they pressed the FIGHT button. They flinched as they saw Sans look at his wound, before looking back at them.

            “OH…” The skeleton sounded a little…disappointed, as if he were expecting something else. “I SEE…WELL…I SHOULDN’T HAVE GOTTEN MY HOPES UP, AFTER ALL…”

            Then, he faded away into dust, leaving nothing but a blue scarf behind.

            Chara picked up Sans’ scarf and went to his house. They wrapped it around the mailbox before finally making their way down the path.

            Chara felt as if someone was watching them, but they decided that it was just their mind playing tricks on them.


	5. Waterfall

            When Chara had left Snowdin and went through the first cave, they saw that Papyrus wasn’t at his stand, and that Asriel was now standing near an echo flower.

            “Howdy!” Asriel said as he turned to Chara. “Are you sneaking out to see Alphys, too?”

            “Yes,” Chara replied, trying their best to sound as cheerful as the goat.

            “Isn’t she the coolest?” Asriel asked. “I’m going to follow in her footsteps – I’ll be just as strong as her when I grow up!” He grinned. “And please, don’t tell my dad that I’m here.”

            Chara nodded and watched as Asriel left. They poked the echo flower, but it was strangely silent. Chara then pressed the star beside the hot dog stand and saved. They saw that they were now at Level 9. They frowned as they remembered striking down the monsters that once inhabited the Ruins and Snowdin – which were now completely empty.

            As they entered the next room, Chara noticed how there were no rocks falling down. Seeing that there was nothing to stop them, Chara went behind the waterfall and grabbed a dusty tutu and some ballet shoes. They equipped the tutu and put their sneakers inside of a box so that they could put on the ballet shoes. Now they had a dusty tutu, a pair of tough gloves, and ballet shoes.

            As Chara left the room and went into the grass, they heard the sound of footsteps and iron clanking against the floor. They immediately recognized who it was and watched as the head of the royal guard left.

            Asriel ran out of the bushes and turned to Chara. “Come on, let’s go watch her beat up some bad guys!” he said, before running ahead.

            Chara walked up to the star and saved once again.

            They let out a sigh as they entered the next room, and encountered Aaron after just a few seconds. Chara pressed the FIGHT option, and watched as the expression on Aaron’s face changed into one of shock. After Aaron got his turn, Chara hit him again and watched as his dust scattered across the floor.

 **It’ll be over soon,** Chara thought as they walked around the room, looking to grind for some EXP. **Don’t cry, don’t show fear – don’t show any emotions. Just smile and pretend that it’s all just a dream.**

            But they knew it wasn’t a dream. It was a nightmare.


	6. Unexpected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've decided that the after this chapter, the rest of this story will be seen through (except the next chapter, which will be seen through Undyne's perspective) Chara's eyes in a second person narrative. 
> 
> And no, before anyone asks, this is not going to be like any of those reader insert stories. Chara is their own person. They are not you, and you are not them. This story will just mimic the game's style using this narrative.
> 
> Also, I've decided to change up some of the dialogue. I tried taking a more original direction with the fight instead of just using the whole 'new form' idea. I also kind of threw in some things from my experiences with an aborted no mercy route (where you still kill Undyne, but she doesn't turn into Undyne the Undying).

            This wasn't what you had expected to happen.

            After you had killed most of the monsters in Waterfall, you had come across a dummy – the Glad Dummy. Except this time, he seemed a little mad. Though you did understand why, since you had driven his brother out of his home by destroying his temporary body. Come to think of it, you hadn't seen Happstablook after that. Perhaps all of the dust scattered around had caused him to panic and leave – which made you feel a little thankful, since you didn't want to hurt the ghost.

            You remember how the dummy was about to attack you, but stopped as he started to shake. Then, he said that he had finally become one with his body – he had become corporeal. He then spared you, but you didn't spare back. Instead, you had hit him, and he turned into dust after one hit.

            When you had went to the shop near Happstablook's house, Gerson had given you this look – which you perceived as a look of disgust. He had went on and told you that there was someone out there who would guide everyone else to safety before you could even lay a hand on another monster. You then blurted out a threat, and he just laughed at you. You tried challenging him to a fight – again, you had blurted it out – and he said that he knew that you were unable to attack him in the store, and that knowledge like that was the only reason he had survived for so long. He then added that his bones weren't fit for fighting and that he'd turn to dust after a single blow. After that, you had purchased some tea and a crabapple before leaving the store. 

            When you had left the caves, you had stopped to whisper something to an echo flower nearby, but when you poked it, a few words came out: "Behind you." You had turned around and saw that it was Alphys. She gave you a warning, saying that you could give up peacefully – which was like some type of redemption – or she'd tear your soul from your body. You had expected her to throw a lightning bolt at you, but instead, Asriel had jumped out of the bushes, only to be dragged back home – or what was left of it, anyway – by Alphys.

            After following the path of echo flowers, you had reached the bridge – the same bridge where Asriel had stood in front of you and protected you. But this time, things were different. When Asriel had walked up to you, there was no curious look on his face – this time, it had been a look of worry. He had asked you if what Alphys had said to him was true – if you were really a murderer.

            That was where you had felt as if you had lost control. You didn't feel a thing as you moved forward, but you did feel your throat dry up soon as you said, "In my way." Asriel had been terrified and tried standing up to you. 

_Big mistake._

            You had tried attacking him – only for Alphys to push him aside and take the blow. 

            You had done a number on her. Not only did you see her cough out some blood, but her body looked like it was about to split apart.

            Tears sting your eyes as you look between the two. You try not to frown – you try your best to keep a blank expression on your face.

            "Alphys...you...you saved me," Asriel says. He looks shocked and frightened at the same time. "But...you're...you're hurt..."

            "It's nothing," Alphys says as she turns to him. "Next time, let the adults take care of the situation, okay? Kids like you shouldn't interfere with matters like this."

            "But, I—" Asriel starts, but she stops him before he can finish.

            "I'll take care of this," Alphys says, her voice now stern. "Get out of here and find your family - someone will escort you to a safe area. You'll stay there until it is safe to leave. Now go!"

            Asriel nods and runs. As soon as he's gone, Alphys turns back to you and lets out a laugh. "...it's nothing..." Her feet are slowly dissolving, and her body is slowly splitting apart. "Somehow, with just one hit, you...you've managed to..." She frowns. "Damn it," she hisses. "Sans...Undyne...Toriel...just after one blow, I'm already..."

            Her body doesn't fade away, though. It stays in place. "No," she says. "While my body feels like it's splitting apart – as if at any second, I'll scatter into a million peaces – there's this burning feeling that's preventing me from dying." There's a pause. "You're not going to stop even after you've gotten past the queen, are you? Someone like you won't stop at nothing until every single living thing is gone." You wheeze. "But I _won't_ let that happen. I will kill you and end everyone's suffering once and for all."

* * *

            You felt like your life was flashing before your eyes as you fought her. You faintly remember dodging the lightning bolts and the small axes that she threw at you. You faintly remember how her body was slowly dissolving after every turn she took, but from the look in your eyes, you could tell that she wasn't ready to give up any time soon. She looked ready – ready to strike you down.

            But the most vivid memory was when you landed the final blow on her. She looked so shocked. She had thrown all of her weapons at you – and while she did land a fair amount of damage on you, it wasn't enough to kill you. 

            "So even that wasn't enough?" she had choked out. "No...no..." She had began to dissolve – she was slowly turning into dust. "...Undyne...this is what I was afraid of...this was why I never told you..."

            Your heart felt like it was going to break the moment you heard her say that. There were so many things you weren't aware of – so many things that you hadn't been informed of, though a part of you could understand why. And by choosing to start over and destroy this place – a place that was once a home to all of your friends – you had learned a couple of new things.

            And one thing was for certain: Alphys wasn't willing to give up, even when facing death itself. You remember how she had shouted, saying that she wouldn't die. She had repeated those words until her whole body had dissolved. 

            Carrying her armor was a difficult task, but you had eventually dragged it back to her house, where you had left it on the doormat. 

_Now there's only forty people left._

            With a heavy heart, you enter the elevator and begin grinding for EXP.


	7. Undyne's POV

            Your chest has grown heavy.

            You had just witnessed the death of your friend – the one you loved. She was the one who had been there for you through it all.

            Ever since the day you met her, she had been so kind to you. She had been so encouraging, so thoughtful and—

            Now she’s gone – she’s gone and she’s never coming back.

            You choke back a sob as you turn to Napstaton. “The human’s on their way over to Hotland. We’ve got to evacuate everyone.”

            They don’t say a word. They simply just nod and leave.

            You sit there at the monitor for a few minutes until you hear the door open. You turn and see your little brother – albeit adoptive, but he’s still family, nonetheless.

            He runs up to you and throws his arms around your waist. His body shakes as he tries to say something, but he stutters, “The…the human…they killed…it’s all my fault…” He sniffs and wipes his face. “Everyone was right…humans can’t be trusted…”

            You pat his head. “None of this is your fault,” you say. “These things…happen.”

            Asriel lets go. He’s still shaking. “She told me that I had to go to Hotland, where someone would escort me and my family to safety, but…Dad’s at Waterfall. You’re the only one here,” he says. “I’m scared, Sis…what if they come here? What if they…?”

            “Everyone will be evacuated by the time they come here,” you tell him. “No one’s going to be left behind, okay? They’re not going to hurt anyone.”

            Your phone goes off. It’s a voice message from Napstaton.

            “While most of the people are leaving, some are volunteering to stay and fight off the human. Maybe…maybe it’d be best if I stayed, too. That way, I’d be able to stall them before they can reach the elevator to the castle.”

            “You don’t know what they’re capable of – what they’ll do if they see that you’re blocking their way,” you say. “You can’t stay behind—”

            “It’s the least I can do to make it up to you,” they say. “You’ve been such a great friend. You built me a form and helped me reach my wildest dreams. Sure, I never did get the chance to apologize to my cousins, but…maybe I’ll finally do something useful for once with this body.”

            “…fine,” you say. “But if you die, then—”

            “Then it’ll be a sacrifice for a good cause,” they reply. They hang up.

            You look back at Asriel. He’s no longer shaking, but he still looks worried.

            “We have to go,” you tell him, and he nods. You grab his hand and leave the lab.


	8. Chapter 8

            Your chest hurts and your throat feels dry. There’s dust on your hands and shirt. You want nothing more than to leave this place – to turn back and make things right – but you can’t. You can’t go back now.

            You step out of the elevator. You look around and see that NTT resort is deserted. It seems as if everyone’s been evacuated.

_Figures._

            You notice that there’s a box near the door. You open the box. There’s an empty gun and a cowboy hat inside. Next to the gun is a small note that says: **Aim must be precise, or else the damage will be low.**

            You take off the dusty tutu and the tough gloves. You put on the cowboy hat and take the gun.

            As you go inside the hotel, you can hear the speakers go off. You recognize the voice behind the microphone.

            “You vile creature,” you hear Napstaton say. Their words are like knives. “You’ve made quite a name for yourself, haven’t you? Such notoriety! Impressive, if I do say so myself. Oh, and if you’re looking for Undyne, then I’m sorry to say that she isn’t here. While you were busy doing your ‘thing,’ she helped evacuate the remaining citizens – those who were fortunate enough not to cross your path. And now everyone’s safe and you’ll be unable to harm anyone else. Deciding not to fight you…she seems to be the only smart one around here.” The robot’s voice has a smug tone. “I bet you’re just itching to get your hands on me now, aren’t you?” You can hear the robot chuckle, “Ah, well, your luck has run out. You see, this world needs more celebrities than it needs corpses. You know, there’s still a chance for you to give up…but what am I saying? Someone like you will stop at nothing until there’s nothing left – until this entire place is nothing but a wasteland.”

            As soon as the speakers turn off, you go to the Nice Cream Shop. The Nice Cream Vendor is still there.

            The vendor stops and puts down his cards. “Why do I always get the oddballs?” he sighs. “So, what do you want?”

            “I’d like a steak and some nice cream,” you say as you pass some gold over to the vendor.

            “Here you go, oddball,” the vendor says as he hands you the food. You take the food and nod, before leaving.

* * *

            The elevator takes you to your destination right away. You breathe in, and then breathe out. You then go inside the room.

            Napstaton is there. It looks as if they’ve been waiting for you. “Oh, so you’ve finally arrived,” they say with a smirk on their face. “After I recorded that message, I realized something…you’re not only a threat to monsters, but you’re also a threat to humans, too. That’s an issue – for you see, I can’t be a DJ without a crowd, and besides…there are some people that I want to protect.”

            You take a step forward, and you feel sweat trickle down your forehead.

            “Eager, aren’t you?” Napstaton laughs. “But I don’t think you’ve taken this into account – as most people now, I was originally meant to be a human eradication robot. It was only after becoming a DJ that I was given some…upgrades.” They pause. “However, those functions were never fully removed. If you so much as take one more step, I’ll be forced to show you my true form.”

            You take another step closer.

            “Fine,” they say, scoffing. “Ready? It’s time for the grand performance!”

            Their true form isn’t what you had expected it to look like. Their right forearm is shaped like a cannon, their shoulders are shaped like legs and are longer then their arms, there are wings on their back, and their hair is spike out.

**_* Napstaton NEO blocks the way!_ **

            You aim at their heart – and as soon as you make your target, you close your eyes and shoot. You open your eyes as you hear Napstaton gasp.

            Their body shakes as they look at you. “Guess you don’t want to join my fanclub then, huh?” they ask quietly, smiling a little. “I guess this is it then…at least I got to show off in front of an audience, even if it consists of only one person…”

            Then they explode. There’s nothing left. You’re Level 19 now.

            You leave the room for a moment and save. You try to calm yourself down before you go back in.

            As you make your way to the elevator, you think about the choices that you’ve made.

_Is this really worth it?_

            Then you think about why you’re here now, and the reason why you climbed the mountain.

            You shut your eyes and enter the elevator. You press the button and wait.

            You’re getting closer and closer to the queen’s castle.


	9. Secrets Revealed

                New Home isn’t the same little grey house from before – it, too, has changed. It’s become quieter. The silence is what worries you.

                As you head towards the kitchen, you feel something on your leg. You look down and see Tem. “Hi, Frisk!” he greets you with a smile on his face. “You’re finally back home! Remember when we used to run around here and how fun it was?” he laughs a little. “Today is going to be just as fun, isn’t it?”

               You go into the kitchen. There’s a key on the counter. You take the key and put it on your phone’s key-chain. When you leave the kitchen, you see Tem sitting by the bookshelf. You decide to let him continue speaking.

               “When I first woke up, I was afraid. I had arms, but I also had paws instead of feet! I had called out for Mom and Dad,” Tem explains. A smirk comes across his face as he says, “But no one came.”

               You go into the hallway. You stop at the first room. When you enter the room, there are two boxes on each bed. You look inside the first box and find a locket. You put down the cowboy hat and take the locket, putting it around your neck. You look inside the second box and find a knife – unlike the toy knife, it is a real one. You put down the gun and take the real knife.

               “Eventually, the queen found me. I explained everything to her. Then she held me, Frisk,” Tem continues. “She was crying as she said to me, ‘Do not worry. Everything will be alright.’ She was…so emotional. I don’t know why, but…I felt so numb. I couldn’t feel anything.”

           “I soon realized that I didn’t feel anything at all. My compassion had disappeared. And it’s not like I didn’t care enough to try,” Tem says, giving a sad smile, “I wasted weeks with the queen, hoping that I’d feel something. But it was just too much for me. I ran away from here. I went to the Ruins, hoping that of all people, that old man would be able to make me feel whole again…he failed, though. And when I realized that those two fools were useless, I had decided that maybe…it wasn’t worth living anymore…not in a world without love – not in a world without _you._ So, I tried erasing myself from this world, and I almost succeeded. But soon I realized that I didn’t want to die, and somehow…I had woken up as if nothing had happened, and I was back where I had started.

So, I decided to experiment after that. At first, I had become friends with most of the people, but soon…it all just became too predictable. I had said some things, done some things – and in the end, I learned that once you know the answer, that’s it. That’s all that person is. And to think that this all started because I was curious. I had told myself that I didn’t like it, and that I was only doing what I had done because I _HAD_ to know what would happen.” A smirk comes across Tem’s face. “Hehehe…what an excuse! You of all people must know liberating it is to act this way. At least we’re better than those _SICK FREAKS_ who just sit around and watch such events happen… those people that want to see it, but are too scared to do it themselves.” He smiles. “I bet someone like that is watching right now…ain’t that something?”

           You feel so bad for him. While you never went through any situation that was similar to his, you knew what it felt like to feel lonely. But…a part of you wants to ask how he knows something like this – how he knows that someone is watching you and him – but you can’t bring yourself to say a word. He’d see right through you. You can’t let him know the truth – not now, when you’re close to the end. 

         “But now, even that’s grown tiring. I’ve done everything. You understand, Frisk, don’t you? I’ve read every book, I’ve burnt every book. I’ve won every game, I’ve lost every game. I’ve reached everyone’s expectations. I’ve broken everyone’s spirits. I’ve seen dialogue, sets of number – I’ve seen everything.” The small dog pauses. “But you? You’re different, Frisk. You’re…unpredictable. When I saw you in the Ruins, I didn’t recognize you. I thought I could frighten, and then steal your soul, but…I failed. And when I tried to load my save file, it didn’t work. It turns out that your determination is greater than mine. …but I just have one question…how’d you get back to the Ruins from here?” Another pause. “…wait a minute…he must’ve taken you when he left, and gave you a proper burial instead of leaving you in the basement. …but what made you wake up? Did you hear me calling your name?”

         You don’t answer his question. You simply just keep walking ahead. It’s easier that way – you don’t have to reveal who you really are. It’s better that he remains ignorant rather than becoming angry and resentful towards you again.

         “That doesn’t matter now. I’m so tired, Frisk. I’m tired of all these people and places. I’m tired of this form. Frisk, there’s just one thing left I want to do,” Tem says. “Let’s finish what we started. Let’s free everyone, then…let’s show them what humanity is REALLY like! That despite everything, this world is still ‘kill or be killed.’ Then…well, I have come up with a few ways to use that power.” There’s another pause. “But seeing you here has changed my mind. Frisk…if you’re around…just living on the surface doesn’t seem that bad. We don’t even need to leave to get them this time. The queen has six souls locked away. I’ve tried to get her to show me where they were, but she just won’t let me see them.” Tem frowns. “But I know she’ll do it for YOU since you’re her favorite.”

         “Why are you telling me this?” you finally ask. Your voice is soft and calm and it shocks you. “I just can’t understand why you’d want to tell me something as important as this…”

         “Why am I telling you all of this?” he repeats the question. “I’ve said this before. Even after all this time, you’re the only one that gets me. Unlike the others, you won’t give me worthless pity or tears. After all, creatures like us wouldn’t hesitate to KILL each other if we got in the other’s way. So that’s…so that’s why…” His body begins to shake as sweat trickles down his head. “What’s this feeling…? Is it…fear? Hey, Frisk…no hard feelings about what happened back there, right?”

         Your hands shake as you remember what he did to you. He had hurt you twice – the first time was unexpected, however, the second time was. You feel hurt and confused. Why was he so afraid of you when he was just as strong back then?

         “H-hey, what are you doing!? B-back off!!” he shouts as he slowly moves away from you. You take a step closer and try to ask him what’s wrong. “I…I’ve changed my mind. I-I don’t think this is a good idea anymore. Y-you should reload, Frisk. This place was better off the way it was before any of this happened!” His eyes narrow and he frowns. “S-s-stop it with the creepy face! This isn’t a joke! Your idea of fun is _SICK!_ ”

_Why is he so afraid?_

         He runs away. You run, too, and try to catch up with him. You keep running until you reach another hallway. You see a star floating near a box. You press the star and save.

         You then continue to walk forward until you see a silhouette at the end of the hall. You watch as the figure walks closer and closer. They stop as soon as they’re a few steps away from you.

         As the light shines through the windows and on their face, you recognize them. The brown pants, the shoes, the orange sweater, and his face…

_Papyrus…_

       “well…” The skeleton looks at you and says, “from the looks of it, you’ve been pretty busy. so, i’ve got a question for ya. do you think that even the worst person can change? that we can all be good people if we just try?”

       You breathe in and out. Your chest grows heavier as you take another step forward. You grip the knife tightly, as if it is a lifeline. You feel as though the walls are about to close in on you.

       “nyeh heh heh,” he chuckles. His expression then changes into a serious one. “well, here’s a better question. do you want to make this harder than it already is? because if you so much as take one more step, you are not going to like the end results.”

       You take another step forward. You feel a huge knot forming in your stomach. Your legs shake a little. Again, you breathe in, and then breathe out.

       “sorry, gore,” you hear him mutter under his breath, “this is why i never make promises.”

       Your soul is summoned and it turns blue. You stare at it for a few seconds, before looking back at Papyrus. He looks so sad – you knew why, though. You had destroyed the place he had called home. You remember how happy everyone was when you all went to the surface. Peace and prosperity had ruled over the land – and then you ruined it. You reset everything, and now no one remembered what had happened. It was all your fault.

       “…you know, if you had killed just a few people, then maybe i would’ve forgiven you. after all, you were forced to fight against your will,” Papyrus says. “but instead of attacking in self-defense, you had went and killed those who had crossed your path until all that there was left was a pile of dust. even after you destroyed my home, i still watched over you. i thought that maybe you’d change your mind and try to become a better person, but i was wrong. some people just never change.”

       His eye glows orange, and you feel yourself being lifted up. He moves his hand to the right and slams you against the pillars, causing your health to go down. You cough out some blood as you hit the floor. You brush your hand against your nose, and as you pull back, you see that there’s blood on your hand now.

       You get up and look at Papyrus. “huh,” he says. “guess it’s about now that sans would say, ‘you’re blue now!’”

       You feel something crawl on your back. After a few minutes you realize what it is.

_It’s the feeling of guilt._

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT 10/17/16: I’m sorry to those who were expecting more, but I’m afraid that I can’t bring myself to update this, for I no longer have the muse to write for it anymore. For more details as to why this has been discontinued, please look at the series’ notes. Thank you.


End file.
